Read: Mark 2:1-17
“Ain’t no mountain high enough”, or in this case, “Ain’t no obstacle thick enough”. Four men are determined to take their friend to Jesus. The problem is that the crowd is ridiculously large both inside and surrounding the house. Jesus stands inside, and their paralyzed friend lies outside on a stretcher. Faith drives them to act, regardless of the repercussions. The men lug the stretcher up the external staircase leading to the roof. Tools in hand, this is no easy job since they will have to drill a hole in the roof.
What do you think the disabled man thinks? Is he excited? Nervous about all the effort his friends are expending? Debris flies in the air as his friends steadily hack through the top level of roof tiles and layers of thatch. Then they cut through wooden beams—no easy job.
NO PLAN B EXISTED
Imagine standing in the room listening to Jesus as debris begins to shower your head. All eyes look up in shock as a stretcher begins descending from above. It perfectly lands at the feet of Jesus. The men’s faith is genuine. They count on their paralyzed friend walking out of the room on his own feet. Jesus looks at them and acknowledges their faith. No plan B exists for hoisting the stretcher back up through the roof.
JESUS GOES OFF SCRIPT
But then Jesus goes off script. He says to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” That must have taken the guys by surprise. They expected healing, but forgiveness of sin? What was that all about? Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performed. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results.” In the eyes of the crowd, it was harder to heal the man than to forgive his sins, because “forgiveness is invisible. No one could verify at that moment that the man was forgiven before God. Yet it could be instantly verified whether or not the man could walk.” Jesus is willing to put Himself to the test. He passes with flying colors. Jesus is Who He says He is. For Him, the hard task is easy.
OBSTACLES TO FAITH
I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on this passage. I can’t stop thinking of those obstacles before the men determined to lay their friend before Jesus. May 15th began yet another hospital stay for Bill. Our days consist of multiple medical tests and interactions with hospital staff who are gracious and skilled in communication. We also experience frustration with medical staff who do not read his chart or don’t communicate with other staff. Testing is both painful and heartbreaking when it doesn’t supply the answers needed. Our path has not been easy.
GOD’S CHARACTER
During this, the Holy Spirit continually hammers away at my obstacles in belief. It is one thing to proclaim one’s faith during sunny skies, but another to anchor one’s faith to Jesus during a tsunami. Yet God is faithful, both on days when faith feels easy and on days when we shake in our boots.
GIVING GOD THE JACKHAMMER
Whether Jesus chooses to heal Bill in this life or the next, God has this figured out. My prayer is, “Lord, I give You the jackhammer. Please continue to clear away the layers that obstruct laying this all at your feet. Help me continually to give all of this to You, regardless of my emotions and exhaustion. Lord, this is easy for You. Please help us to rest in You.”
How is your faith doing? Is it growing in the storm? Ask Jesus to tear down the layers that separate you from resting in Him. Submit to the work of the Holy Spirit. This is where you can find rest. For Jesus, the hard task is easy.